Buttercup winter hazel

Buttercup winter hazel: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, dense shrub 1–1.5 m tall and up to 2 m wide, with fine, widely spreading branches.

Leaf

Oval, toothed, with clear parallel veins, like a hazel; unfolds bronze and turns yellow in autumn.

Flower

Pale yellow, bell-shaped flowers in twos or threes in short, hanging clusters, in March–April, before the leaves.

Scent

Light and sweet, best noticed on a mild, sunny spring day.

Roots

Shallow and finely branched: it likes cool, humus-rich soil under a mulch.

Flowering: March–April · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: April–May

Why grow it?

• One of the first shrubs to flower: pale yellow bells in March–April, on bare branches.
• Lightly scented flowers, an early source of food for bees and bumblebees.
• Stays low and wide: lovely in a small garden, at a woodland edge or in a shady border.
• Fresh, pleated leaves that unfold bronze and turn yellow in autumn.
• No pruning needed: it naturally grows into a graceful shape.

Buttercup winter hazel: where does it grow best?

• Partial shade is ideal, for example at a woodland edge or under tall trees; strong midday sun scorches the leaves.
• Humus-rich, well-drained soil that stays evenly moist: sand, loam or peat, acid to neutral. On chalky soil the leaves turn yellow.
• Sheltered from cold east and north winds and late frost, which can freeze the early flowers.
• Allow 1.5–2 m per plant; it grows wider than it is tall.

Light

Partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or peat

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

1.5 m tall, 2 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Lenten rose: Flowers at the same time in partial shade, with white, pink or purple flowers at its feet.
• Lungwort: Blue and pink flowers in March–April and spotted leaves as ground cover.
• Glory of the snow: Blue stars beneath the pale yellow bells.
• Rhododendron: Enjoys the same acid, humus-rich soil and flowers after the winter hazel.
• Japanese maple: Fine leaves and autumn colour, in an equally sheltered spot in partial shade.

Buttercup winter hazel: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or October–November, when the soil is not frozen or too wet.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in leaf mould or ericaceous compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot and firm the soil well.
4. Water in thoroughly straight away, preferably with rainwater.
5. Spread a layer of leaf mould, bark or pine needles around the base.

Care

Watering

Keep the soil evenly moist, especially in the first year and in dry summers. Rainwater is better than hard tap water.

Feeding

In April, some leaf mould or organic fertiliser for acid-loving plants.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould or bark in spring keeps the roots cool and moist.

Late frost

If a hard frost threatens during flowering, cover the shrub with horticultural fleece in the evening.

In a pot

Possible in a large pot of ericaceous compost; water regularly.

Tip: Plant it in front of a dark background, such as a hedge or evergreen shrubs: the pale yellow bells then stand out best in March. Choose a spot sheltered from cold east winds.

Buttercup winter hazel: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April–May.

When: No pruning is needed. If something has to go, cut it straight after flowering, in late April or May.

How:

• Cut out dead, damaged and crossing branches, back to a healthy side branch.
• On an older shrub, remove one of the oldest branches at the base now and then to keep it open.
• Never clip it into shape: that destroys its graceful, natural habit.

Caution: It flowers on last year’s wood: pruning in autumn or winter costs you flowers.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Softwood cuttings

In June–July, take 8–10 cm cuttings from young shoots and put them in moist cutting compost under plastic or in a propagator with a lid.

Layering

In spring, peg a low branch down into the soil and cover with soil; sever and transplant after a year.

Buttercup winter hazel: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Hardy to about −20 °C: in Belgium the shrub itself needs no protection.
• The flowers appear early and can be frozen by a late frost: plant it in a sheltered spot and cover it with fleece if a hard frost comes during flowering.
• In a pot: stand the pot against a wall and wrap it in hessian so the roots do not freeze.

Diseases and pests

• Frosted flowers: Brown, limp flowers after a frosty night. A sheltered spot and fleece in hard frost help; the shrub itself does not suffer.
• Yellow leaves: Yellow leaves with green veins point to chalky soil or hard watering water. Mulch with pine needles or leaf mould and water with rainwater.
• Scorched leaves: Brown leaf edges in summer from strong sun or drought. Water, and choose a spot in partial shade when planting.
• Few flowers: Too much shade, or pruned in autumn or winter. Move it somewhere a little lighter and prune only after flowering.

Through the year

• February: The flower buds swell. Have fleece ready for late frost.
• March: Flowering on the bare branches. Plant. Cover in hard night frost.
• April: Last flowers; the leaves unfold bronze. Add compost and mulch. Light pruning after flowering if needed.
• May: Light pruning if needed. Water in dry spells.
• June: Take softwood cuttings. Water in dry spells.
• July: Water in dry spells, preferably with rainwater.
• October: Yellow autumn colour. Plant.
• November: Plant. Leaf mould around the base.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Pauciflora means ‘few-flowered’: each cluster has only two or three flowers, fewer than in other winter hazels.
• The name Corylopsis means ‘like Corylus’, the hazel, because of its clearly veined leaves.
• It belongs to the same family as witch hazel and Persian ironwood, two other shrubs known for early flowers or autumn colour.